Anton Siluanov, Russia’s finance minister, confirms a strong dependence on Chinese drones. This is happening in the shadow of the Ukraine crisis and the subsequent international sanctions.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has revealed that Russia mainly purchases drones from China. “Basically all of our drones come from the People’s Republic of China,” he said during a meeting of the Finance Committee in the Russian Parliament. According to Siluanov, Russia plans to increase the production of civilian drones domestically. More than 60 billion rubles (around 585 million euros) are earmarked for this project in the national budget.

Commercial drones can be converted for military purposes

As a result of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, the West implemented sanctions against Russia. These measures were specifically intended to hinder the import and production of both civilian and military drones. In September, China passed its own export restrictions on long-range civilian drones that could potentially be used “for non-peaceful purposes” in Russia. Commercial drone variants are reported to be being adapted for military use by both parties to the conflict. Their role in the course of the war is considered significant.